About

Immerse yourself in the diverse expressions of these remarkable individuals as we invite you to explore more about our artists, their inspirations, and the unique narratives woven into each masterpiece. Experience the legacy of creativity that transcends generations and resonates with the essence of American artistry.

The Path Story

Featuring Two Generations of Recognized American Artists

Dive into a captivating journey through the realms of artistic brilliance as we showcase the unparalleled mastery of two generations of American artists at Jefferson Fine Art Gallery. Explore the intricate strokes and emotive canvases of Jack A. Jefferson, whose creative odyssey unfolded under the tutelage of his father and blossomed into a profound exploration of the human form. Delve into the enduring legacy of William H. Jefferson, a descendant of Thomas Jefferson, whose wartime resilience and post-war commitment to fine art left an indelible mark on the American cultural landscape. Join us in celebrating the artistry, passion, and unique perspectives that define the Jefferson artistic lineage, a testament to the enduring power of creativity across generations.

A Born Artist


Jack Jefferson was born into an artist family in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He first discovered his interest and talents in art as a young boy while spending time in his father, William H. Jefferson’s studio. William H. Jefferson was a highly successful advertising executive as well as an accomplished commercial artist. He was founder of Jefferson Advertising, a national advertising agency, with offices in La Crosse, Chicago and Minneapolis. The agency employed a staff of very talented commercial artists and Jack was able to visit and watch them as well as his father as they worked. “There was little commercial quality photography available in the 50s and early 60’s, so illustrators and commercial artists were an integral part of every ad agency”. My siblings and I were often used for models for their illustrations, said Jack. Later, he joined the family business and honed his undisciplined artistic skills as an assistant art director to his father. During those early years in his career, Jack spent countless hours rendering ad and storyboard layouts and developed exceptional abilities in figure drawing, conceptual illustration and graphic design, all the while he dreamt of someday being a successful fine artist. Jack was greatly inspired and further introduced to fine art by his mother, La Vonne Jefferson, who was a talented artist herself and also a successful manager of a national fine art gallery. “She was my biggest fan”, said Jack.

In 1979 Jack left his father’s agency and set out on a 20 year journey that would take him to the top of the ad industry. During his successful career in advertising, Jack worked for several years as an award winning art director, then advanced to executive positions for a number of large Chicago agencies, including serving as Vice President, Group Creative Director at Euro RSCG, Chicago, an international advertising agency with offices across the globe. He managed large creative departments responsible for developing advertising campaigns for clients including, Mc Donald’s, Sears, SunTrust Bank, and Visa.
Upon the death of his father in 1996, who in his retirement had emerged as a recognized fine artist, Jack promised to follow the dream he had found years earlier. That promise would eventually bring him back to his roots as a fine artist.

In 1999, Jack left the ad business and joined a leading National fine art gallery headquartered in Chicago. They represented leading artists from around the world. He soon was promoted to Gallery Director and helped the company grow to be the largest grossing retail gallery organization in the metro-Chicago area. During his years in gallery management, Jack was fortunate to become close friends with a number of recognized and successful international artists. He was also allowed the opportunity to witness many of these gifted artists work. “There was allot of down time for the artists when they would fly in to do a weekend show, and many of them would bring their paints and brushes to the gallery and paint in our storeroom between shows”, I would often times join them there and pull up a chair and visit with them and watch them as they worked, it was wonderful,” said Jack. 

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In addition to enjoying his current success as a fine artist, Jack is the founder of Jefferson Archives Publishing, LLC., a successful fine art publishing company and Jefferson Fine Art.com. He credits his daughter, who herself is an award winning artist, and his late mother for his inspiration to follow this dream, while his knowledge, advanced skills and artistic abilities can be traced directly back to the days of his youth, working shoulder-to-shoulder with his father.

A crucial point in Jefferson’s development as a fine artist ironically came during his recuperation in a Chicago hospital from the year he endured in a German POW camp. Jefferson fought in the Battle of the Bulge, he was wounded in battle and he and most of his comrades from the US Army 106th Infantry Division were captured when the Germans retreated. Jefferson’s artistic aspirations helped him survive the desperate period of his captivity, as well as his lengthy hospital stay after liberation. It also gave him time to think about a career in the army. Jefferson was promoted to major while hospitalized and received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

“During our captivity we were able to monitor the final stages of the war via a hidden radio. I don’t know how our commanding officer did it but he insisted on having a set of bagpipes to play. The Germans went along with it and at night when everyone thought we were listening to the bagpipes, we were really listening to the BBC broadcasts from London.” Wm. H. Jefferson

After his recovery, Jefferson decided to retire from the military and founded Jefferson Advertising and counted Northwest Airlines and Gateway Transportation, among his national clients. Throughout his 30 year career in advertising, Jefferson closely followed artists Norman Rockwell and Andrew Wyeth. Additionally, he utilized the enlightenment of Andrew Loomis in the curriculum of the Jefferson School of Art.

In the early 1980’s, Jefferson’s career as a fine artist finally began. His intricately detailed figurative works were featured at a number of major art gallery events nationally, and articles about Jefferson and his drawings appeared in several national Fine Art publications. In an excerpt from one of his interviews, Jefferson offered these insights regarding the inspiration for his work.

“I want to provoke some thought through my drawings. The look of the face, the attitude of the body – I want to portray a moment in the life of that individual. I don’t necessarily want the viewers to see the same thing I do, but I want them to see something – determination in those eyes, suffering, and” he added, “some humor.”       ​

“My goal is to have my work hanging somewhere and have a good figure artist look at it and say ‘That person really knows how to draw,’ I suppose I should be drawing for the market, but instead I’m working for that one person who will recognize my ability.” ​

“I used to play around with charcoal, building up layers until I started to get out of it what I wanted. Now, I just move in. I have to be this way because the beauty of my medium is the contrast between black and white. I am now working to become bolder and bolder in my approach". Wm. H. Jefferson

Quite tragically, just as Jefferson had seemingly achieved his lifelong goal to be recognized as a significant American artist, the hardships of his WWII combat and prison camp experience overtook him and he spent the remaining years of his life confined to a military hospital. Jefferson was laid to rest with honors in March of 1996 at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington D.C. In November of 2009, Jefferson’s works of art were added to the permanent collection of The Library of Congress.

The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections.

The Thomas Jefferson connection: In family conversation, William H. Jefferson was said to be a direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson’s Uncle, Field Jefferson, older brother to Thomas Jefferson’s father Peter. Additionally, William H. Jefferson’s grandfather was one of the few officers to survive Appomattox and was among those chosen, or one of the few able-bodied remaining, to escort General Lee to surrender. From there the story goes on, as described in William H. Jefferson’s biography, to a generation later, when Bill Jefferson emerged as an instinctive military man, from the depression humbled small town of Sparta Wisconsin.

William H. Jefferson’s works of art are part of the permanent collections of the following museums and government institutions:

-THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Washington, D.C.

-THE CITY OF LA CROSSE – La Crosse Public Library

La Crosse, Wisconsin

-JACKSON COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM

Black River Falls, Wisconsin

-MONROE COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM

Sparta, Wisconsin

-NEW VISIONS GALLERY & MUSEUM

AT THE MARSHFIELD CLINIC, Marshfield, Wisconsin

-U.S.V.A. MEDCAL CENTER, Tomah, Wisconsin